Colony Square Tree Lighting 2026: Date, Time and Light Shows

Colony Square’s own site (colonysquare.com) listed only October events when we looked (checked October 27, 2026), and nothing about December. This page will be updated the day the holiday schedule is published. Everything dated below is from a past year and is labelled with its year.

When is the Colony Square tree lighting in 2026?

Not announced. The last three editions all fell on a Thursday at the very start of the holiday season: November 30 in 2023, December 5 in 2024 and December 4 in 2025. If that holds, the first Thursday of December 2026 is December 3, but that is our inference from the pattern, not an announcement. Don’t book around it until Colony Square confirms.

What happened at the 2025 Colony Square tree lighting?

This is last year’s program, per Atlanta on the Cheap (checked October 27, 2026), and may change:

• Cost: free.
• Evening: a 6–8 p.m. celebration with live music from A-Town A-List, festive drinks, photo opportunities and entertainment.
• The lighting: the official ceremony started at 7:55 p.m. on The Plaza stage, with a countdown to the tree lighting, Santa and honorary tree lighters from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Crowd: mostly standing room, with no space for lawn chairs.
• Nightly shows: free tree lighting shows at the top of each hour from 5 to 8 p.m., December 5–25, 2025. There were no 7–8 p.m. shows on December 10–12 and 17–19 because of Holiday Movies.
• Skating: the same article says there was no skating rink at Colony Square in 2025.
• Fire pits: 12 free, first-come Winter Squares seating areas on The Plaza from December through February, running only while the concierge is on duty.

Where is it, and how do you get there?

Colony Square is at 1197 Peachtree Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, between 14th and 15th Streets. The tree lighting is held on The Plaza. For parking, MARTA and the Midtown walk, check Colony Square’s own pages once the 2026 date is out; we have not yet confirmed 2026 parking or access details.

What happened to the Atlanta Christmas parade?

Midtown’s old Children’s Christmas Parade on Peachtree Street, run by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, no longer runs. Wikipedia, citing the hospital system’s 2021 announcement, says the 2020 parade was cancelled and the hospital replaced it with Season on the Square, which includes the Colony Square tree lighting (Children’s Christmas Parade, read October 27, 2026).

In 2022 that weekend also included a Saturday street performance on Peachtree Street between 14th and 15th Streets (Rough Draft Atlanta). We found no 2026 parade.

What else is happening in Georgia at Christmas?

For a bigger ticketed show, see our Stone Mountain Christmas guide; for Savannah, the Savannah Christmas Market, the Savannah Christmas Street Parade and the Boat Parade of Lights; and to pick a town, which Georgia Christmas town to visit.

FAQ

When is the Colony Square tree lighting 2026?

Not announced as of October 27, 2026. The last three were Thursdays: November 30, 2023, December 5, 2024 and December 4, 2025. Colony Square will post the 2026 date on its own site.

Is the Colony Square tree lighting free?

The 2025 tree lighting and nightly light shows were free, according to Atlanta on the Cheap. We have no 2026 details yet.

What time is the Colony Square tree lighting?

In 2025 the celebration ran 6–8 p.m. and the official countdown started at 7:55 p.m. In 2024 it ran 6–8 p.m. and in 2023 5–7 p.m. The 2026 time is not announced.

Is there an Atlanta Christmas parade on Peachtree Street in 2026?

We found none. The Children’s Christmas Parade in Midtown was ended by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which replaced it with Season on the Square (Wikipedia, citing the hospital’s 2021 announcement).

Is there ice skating at Colony Square?

Atlanta on the Cheap said there was no skating rink at Colony Square in 2025. We have no 2026 information.

Where is Colony Square?

1197 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30361, in Midtown between 14th and 15th Streets.

How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on October 27, 2026. Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.

Sources

• Colony Square — official site (October 2026 events only; no holiday dates yet)
• Atlanta on the Cheap — Colony Square tree lighting and nightly shows (2025)
• Midtown Atlanta — The Lighting at Colony Square (Thursday, December 5, 2024)
• Midtown Atlanta — The Lighting at Colony Square presented by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Thursday, November 30, 2023)
• Rough Draft Atlanta — Lighting at Colony Square holiday festivities (December 2–3, 2022)
• Wikipedia — Children’s Christmas Parade (parade ended; replaced by Season on the Square)

Checked on October 27, 2026. The 2026 date, time and program are not announced; we re-check Colony Square’s site every week and will update this page when they are.

About Hank Whitlock

Hank Whitlock is the pen name of the It's Georgia editor. Every guide is built around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each guide shows the date it was last updated.